Better to Finish It for Good

Toad's thick tongue shot out like a steel whip, coated in viscous cursed energy, and wrapped precisely around the cursed spirit's forelimbs. But this Grade 2 Cursed Spirit was far stronger than expected. Its muscles tensed, pulling Toad's tongue taut. Its scarlet eye locked onto Toad in front of it, and its massive body slammed forward with an air-rending roar.

"Toad, spit mucus! Divine Dogs, accelerate and flank it!" Zhiyan's orders came lightning-fast.

Toad immediately released its grip and spewed a large quantity of slippery cursed energy mucus, spreading a thin layer across the floor. The mucus was not only slick but could also harden to restrain the cursed spirit, hampering its ability to exert force and weakening its charge.

Meanwhile, pale green currents swirled around the black and white dogs. Driven by their wind-based ability, their already nimble bodies became two blurred afterimages. They darted to either side of the cursed spirit, their sharp claws wreathed in wind blades as they raked its spine-covered back.

Riiip- The wind blades sliced through the black mist covering the cursed spirit, leaving two deep wounds. Black cursed energy blood gushed out.

The cursed spirit let out a deafening roar of pain, its charge toward Toad faltering. Its feet slipped on the mucus, and its massive body staggered half a step.

Toad seized the chance to hop backward to a safe distance, its belly swelling as it prepared to restrain the creature again.

But just then, the bone spikes covering the cursed spirit abruptly lengthened, their tips gleaming cold and black. Dozens of spikes shot toward the Divine Dogs like a torrential downpour. It had clearly identified the dogs that had wounded it as its greatest threat, and its swift, dense barrage targeted their vital points.

"Divine Dogs, Wind Wall defense! Rabbit Escape, confuse it with clones!" Zhiyan's pupils contracted as he instantly switched commands.

The black and white dogs reacted swiftly, pushing their wind-based ability to its limit. Two spinning wind walls formed in an instant, shielding them like sturdy shields.

Clang, clang, clang- The barrage of bone spikes struck the wind walls, throwing off sparks. Most were shredded by the wind blades, while the few that broke through were blown off course, grazing the Divine Dogs' fur and leaving only shallow scratches.

Rabbit Escape's main body flickered, and the cursed energy surrounding it split into dozens of clones. These cursed energy constructs scattered and hopped around the cursed spirit, deliberately producing dense fluctuations of cursed energy to disrupt its sight and perception as it tried to track the Divine Dogs.

With its spike barrage thwarted and its forelimbs stuck in mucus, the cursed spirit flew into a rage. Its cursed energy surged, and amid the churning black mist, its body nearly doubled in size. The light in its scarlet eye grew ever more bloodthirsty.

It wrenched free of the mucus, its forelimbs trailing thick black mist. Instead of charging blindly again, it crouched low and pushed off with all four limbs. Like a cheetah poised to strike, it became a black blur and lunged at the Divine Dogs, clearly intent on eliminating the two shikigami that had wounded it and obstructed its attacks.

With a cigarette between his lips, Toji tapped his fingers absently against the stone bench. His amused gaze turned serious.

He could clearly see that Zhiyan issued his orders without hesitation, adjusting them in real time to match the enemy's targets. The Divine Dogs had instantly switched from flanking attacks to defensive counters, using their wind walls to protect themselves precisely. Rabbit Escape had seized the chance to distract the cursed spirit with clones, buying the dogs breathing room. Meanwhile, during the spike barrage, Toad had spat more mucus, pinning the creature's still-extended forelimbs to the floor and restricting its next move.

"Interesting," Toji murmured, a flicker of approval passing through his eyes.

"Divine Dogs, evade! Rabbit Escape, keep disrupting it!" Remaining calm, Zhiyan immediately changed his orders.

The black and white dogs used their wind-based ability to dart backward, as nimble as two passing breezes, evading the cursed spirit's pounce. Rabbit Escape multiplied its cursed energy clones again until there were hundreds, surrounding the creature in overlapping layers to form a dense "shadow wall." At the same time, every clone released a faint downward pressure of cursed energy. Individually weak, their combined force was enough to slow the cursed spirit and disrupt the rhythm of its attacks.

After missing its pounce, the cursed spirit found itself obstructed by the barrier and harried by clones. Growing even more furious, it threw back its head and roared. Its bone spikes lengthened again and shot toward the retreating Divine Dogs in rapid succession, like a rain of black arrows that gave them no chance to catch their breath.

"Divine Dogs, counter with Wind Blade! Toad, seal it with mucus! Rabbit Escape, harass its eye!" Zhiyan's gaze sharpened, his commands growing more decisive.

The Divine Dogs wheeled through the air. Rather than merely defending, they opened their mouths and spat dozens of crescent-shaped wind blades, smashing most of the incoming bone spikes. Riding the wind to adjust their positions, they circled behind the cursed spirit;

Toad took advantage of the creature's fixation on the Divine Dogs to spew a torrent of thick cursed energy mucus. Pouring down like sludge, it firmly pinned the cursed spirit's hindlimbs to the floor, then rapidly hardened into a sturdy restraint;

Under cover of its clones, Rabbit Escape nimbly leaped onto the cursed spirit's head and struck its scarlet eye with soft yet sharp claws. Though the blow did little damage, it briefly interrupted the creature's attack.

Boom-!

With the cursed spirit's eye under assault and its hindlimbs restrained, the Divine Dogs' wind blades struck the wound on its back with precision, tearing open another deep gash. Black cursed energy blood gushed out. The creature let out an agonized howl and staggered to its knees, the light in its eye dimming.

Zhiyan did not let the opening slip away. He immediately pressed the attack. "Divine Dogs, keep cutting its wounds with wind blades!"

The Divine Dogs raced around the cursed spirit, unleashing wind blades like a downpour and steadily widening the wound on its back.

The incense and candles on the stone platform had burned down by two-thirds, their orange-red flames flickering amid the cursed energy fluctuations.

Zhiyan could feel his cursed energy draining rapidly, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead, but his gaze only grew firmer. He could clearly sense his connection with the shikigami deepening. In particular, the Divine Dogs' switches between wind-based offense and defense, combined with Rabbit Escape's coordination of its real body and clones, had perfectly countered the cursed spirit's targeted attacks. This "dynamic coordination" was far more useful in actual combat than the fixed tactics taught by the clan.

Just then, the cursed spirit erupted with even more violent cursed energy. Black mist churned fiercely around it, and cracks began forming once again in the hardened mucus restraints.

It jerked its head up and unleashed a deafening roar, its lone eye fixed on the Divine Dogs. Black cursed energy poured from the bases of its broken bone spikes, condensing into several thick Cursed Energy Spikes that tore through the air toward the dogs.

The counterattack came without warning. The spikes followed viciously calculated paths, cutting off every direction the Divine Dogs could dodge. There was no time to evade.

"Withdraw!" Zhiyan's gaze hardened. Without the slightest hesitation, he rapidly drew back the cursed energy at his fingertips. The wind currents around the black and white Divine Dogs vanished, and they became two inky silhouettes that retreated into his shadow. Almost simultaneously, several spikes swept through the spots where their fading lights had been and slammed into the Suppressing Cursed Seals on the walls, throwing up a shower of sparks.

The immediate danger had passed, but cold sweat covered Zhiyan's forehead. He glanced at the nearly spent incense and candles on the stone platform, then at the restrained yet still raging cursed spirit. His mind raced. If this stalemate continued, his cursed energy would reach its limit. Once the mucus restraints broke, he would have no way to respond.

"In that case, better to finish it for good." A bold idea took shape in his mind.

Without further hesitation, Zhiyan formed another hand sign, reversing the flow of his cursed energy. "Return!"

Rabbit Escape's hundreds of clones vanished in an instant, its main body retreating into his shadow. Toad rapidly shrank as well, merging into his shadow. Within a single breath, all three shikigami had been recalled. Only Zhiyan and the restrained cursed spirit remained in the holding chamber, where the air seemed to freeze.

Toji raised an eyebrow, pausing as he extinguished his cigarette. Surprise flickered in his eyes. Was this brat trying to get himself killed?

Ignoring Toji's gaze, Zhiyan sent cursed energy surging wildly around his body. He squeezed every last drop from his reserves, even faintly stirring the power sleeping within his shadow. His hands rapidly formed signs as he growled, "Ten Shadows Technique-Nue!"

Screee-!

A piercing cry rang through the holding chamber. Pale purple cursed energy burst from Zhiyan's shadow, and a gigantic shikigami with a wingspan several yards wide abruptly appeared. Its hawklike head bore a sharp beak, and its wings shimmered with intertwined lightning. This was Nue, the most destructive offensive shikigami Zhiyan currently possessed.

Nue's appearance instantly threw the chamber's cursed energy fluctuations out of control. The Suppressing Cursed Seals on the walls blazed brightly, barely stabilizing the situation. The moment Nue appeared, it sensed its master's resolve. Its scarlet eyes locked onto the cursed spirit, lightning crackling around its body. Pale purple currents flowed along its wings, gathering into devastating power.

"Oh? Planning to kill it outright?" Toji leaned against the stone bench, his surprise giving way to keen interest as he watched Zhiyan closely.

Sensing the lethal threat posed by Nue, the cursed spirit's lone eye flickered with fear. It frantically compressed its cursed energy, trying to break free of the mucus restraints and self-destruct.

But Zhiyan had already anticipated its intent. He thrust his fingers downward. "Nue, Lightning Strike!"

Nue gave a deafening cry and beat its wings. A thick pillar of pale purple lightning erupted from its body, striking the cursed spirit squarely with the world-shattering force of divine punishment.

Boom-!

The lightning pillar instantly pierced the cursed spirit's core of black mist. Black cursed energy collided violently with purple lightning, erupting in a blinding flash.

The cursed spirit unleashed an excruciating scream. Its massive body convulsed in the lightning, its bone spikes snapping inch by inch. The black mist sizzled as the lightning scorched it, dispersing into wisps of black smoke.

The incense and candles on the stone platform burned out at that very moment, their last wisp of smoke scattered by the violent cursed energy fluctuations.

The lightning gradually subsided. That strike had exhausted the last of Zhiyan's cursed energy, and Nue retreated into his shadow.

Zhiyan staggered a step backward, his cursed energy completely depleted. His face was as pale as paper, but his eyes shone unusually bright.

The cursed spirit's enormous body collapsed. The lightning had completely dispersed its black mist, and its lone eye lost all its luster. Its body gradually broke into black cursed energy fragments, all of which were absorbed by the Suppressing Cursed Seals on the walls. It had not been given even the slightest chance to self-destruct.

Dead silence filled the holding chamber, broken only by Zhiyan's slightly labored breathing.

Toji stood and walked over to Zhiyan. His earlier amusement was gone, replaced by genuine approval. "Pretty gutsy, brat. Weren't you afraid that strike wouldn't kill it?"

Zhiyan looked up, his breathing unsteady but his tone firm. "Dragging it out would only put me at a disadvantage. Rather than risk that, I was better off deciding it with one strike. Besides, I have confidence in myself."

"Hahaha..." Toji laughed and patted his shoulder a little harder than before. "No wonder the old man dared name you his heir so early. Brat, are you really six years old? Still, you didn't just last through one stick of incense. You knew how to change your tactics as the situation developed, and you even wagered your remaining cursed energy to kill that spirit. You exceeded the goal of this training session."

Zhiyan was inwardly speechless. It's not like you treated me as a six-year-old, either. He then thought back over the entire fight. Though his cursed energy was exhausted and his whole body ached, the thrill of controlling the battle and winning with a single strike was, honestly, pretty good.

As he was still reflecting on it, his body suddenly felt light, and his view flipped upside down.

Toji had hoisted him onto his shoulder. Zhiyan frowned. "What are you doing? Put me down."

Toji dug at his ear with his free left hand and said casually, "Enough, brat. You can't walk right now anyway. Just stay put. I'll take you back."

Without waiting for Zhiyan's reaction, he turned and headed for the door.

Outside, bright sunlight spilled warmly over them, driving away the chill of the holding chamber.

Zhiyan narrowed his eyes and let the breeze brush his cheeks. His taut nerves finally relaxed, and exhaustion washed over him like a tide.

He could smell the faint scent of tobacco on Toji, mingled with the warmth of sun-dried fabric. It was unexpectedly comforting.

"Sleep a little if you're tired, brat." Noticing that the boy on his shoulder had gone still and his breathing had steadied, Toji unconsciously softened his steps and lowered his voice. "I'll wake you when we get there."

Zhiyan did not answer. His consciousness was already growing hazy. He could feel that Toji's stride remained steady, every step smooth, without the slightest jolt.

Perhaps he was simply too tired, but lying across the shoulder of this perpetually flippant man, he somehow let down all his defenses and drifted into a light sleep. Even so, his dreams were filled with the purple lightning that had split the darkness when Nue spread its wings.

Toji glanced down at the little boy sleeping soundly on his shoulder. His long eyelashes cast faint shadows beneath his eyes. His face was still pale, but it now held more of the softness a child should have than it had during the fight.

Now that's how a six-year-old should look. Always wearing that stiff expression-what a little stick-in-the-mud.

The smile at his lips softened. He reached up to straighten Zhiyan's slipped collar and, avoiding the Zenin Clan's servants, headed lightly toward Zhiyan's courtyard. The sunlight stretched their shadows long, weaving them into a warm, tranquil picture.